One of the main goals for genealogists is finding birth, baptism, and/or christening information about their ancestors.
Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians, and archivists, a great number of indexes to birth and baptism collections have been provided for free online. These searchable indexes provide specific birth, baptism, or christening information, and sometimes scanned images of the actual birth documents themselves. These free online collections have millions of records in them in total.
There are a great number of online and offline collections that may include birth information that is not included in the lists below. These different types can be found in 27 Ways to Find Ancestor Birth Information
If you are interested in baptism indexes that may include the birth date as well as baptism information, make sure and check out Church Records.
The lists below are specific birth, baptism, and christening indexes and record collections that are available for free online for the state.
Note 1: Many of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. In many cases there is a link to the digital collection in the middle of the page, but also near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. Please also note that I have listed below only databases that are accessible digitally from your computer (or tablet/phone)
Note 2: I have included links to Free Ancestry records and indexes. You do not need a subscription, but do need an Ancestry account. Without a subscription, you can view indexes. If there is an image associated with a record, in most cases you will need a subscription, but the index does include very usable information.
(Updated December 2021; recently added links are in BOLD):
- Beaverhead County Vital Records, 1862-2009
- Beaverhead County, Birth Certificates, 1902-1930
- Big Horn County Records, 1908-1960
- Big Horn County Vital Records, 1884-2011
- Big Horn County, Birth Records, 1891-1982
- Billings Gazette Vital Records Indexes
- Broadwater County Birth Records and Index, 1857-1930
- Broadwater County Death Records and Register of Births, 1903-2002
- Cascade County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Cascade County Vital Records, 1880-2009
- Cascade County, Birth and Death Index, 1895-1907
- Cascade County, Birth Records, 1893-1933
- Cascade County, Great Falls Tribune Vital Records, 1900-1999
- Chouteau County Vital Records,1876-2011
- Chouteau County, Birth Records, 1909-1930
- Daniels County, Birth Records, 1916-1930
- Deer Lodge County Index to Births, ca. 1886-1942 ; Birth Records, ca. 1903-1932
- Fallon County Vital Records Indexes
- Flathead County Newspaper Vital Records
- Flathead County Records, 1871-2007
- Flathead County, Birth Records, 1881-1942
- Gallatin County, Birth Records, 1865-1930
- Gallatin County, Register of Births & Deaths, 1879-1919
- Gallatin County, Vital Records Index
- Gallatin County, Vital Records Index
- Glacier County, Birth Indexes
- Granite County Vital Records, 1865-2009
- Granite County, Birth and Death Records, 1895-1906; Index to Births (1907-1930) and Deaths (1963), 1895-1963
- Granite County, Birth Records, 1894-1930, 1938
- Jefferson County Birth Indexes
- Jefferson County Births, Marriages and Deaths and Indexes, 1895-2003
- Jefferson County, Birth Indexes
- Judith Basin County Vital Records, 1887-2012
- Judith Basin County, Birth Records
- Lake County Vital Records, 1857-2010
- Lake County, Birth Records, 1857-1930
- Lewis and Clark County Birth and Death Indexes
- Lewis and Clark County Death Records, 1869-1950; Birth Records, 1841-1930; Indexes, 1841-2001
- Lewis and Clark County, Birth Indexes
- Lincoln County, Birth Records, 1896-1930
- Madison County, Birth and Death Index, 1907-1930
- Madison County, Birth Records, 1860-1905
- Madison County, Marriage and Birth newspaper clippings, 1800’s-1900’s
- Meagher County Vital Records, 1866-2012
- Meagher County, Birth Records, 1866-1930
- Mineral County, Birth Records, 1914-1930
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Missoula County Vital Records Index
- Montana, County Births and Deaths, 1840-2004
- Pondera County Vital Records, 1910-2012
- Pondera County, Birth Records, 1910-1982
- Powell County, Birth Records and Index, 1907-1930
- Ravalli County Births
- Ravalli County, Birth Records, 1909-1930; Index to Birth Records, 1911-1966
- Rosebud County Vital Records, 1878-2011
- Rosebud County, Birth and Death Record, 1882-2011
- Rosebud County, Birth Indexes
- Sanders County Births
- Sanders County Vital Records, 1866-2010
- Sanders County, Birth Records, 1915-1930
- Sheridan County, Birth Records, 1910-1930
- Stillwater County Births
- Sweet Grass County Newspaper Vitals Announcements
- Sweet Grass County Records, 1887-2011
- Sweet Grass County Vital Records, 1887-2011
- Sweet Grass County, Birth and Death Records, 1895-1918
- Sweet Grass County, Birth Records, 1892-1930
- Teton County Records, 1881-2012
- Teton County Vital Records, 1881-2012
- Teton County, Birth Records, 1897-1930
- Toole County Records, 1913-1960
- Toole County Vital Records, 1913-1960
- Toole County, Burial Records, 1944-1978
- United States Births and Christenings, 1867-1931
- Wibaux County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Yellowstone County Records, 1881-2011
- Yellowstone County Vital Records, 1881-2011
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free Montana Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Obituaries
BMD Records
Photos
Yearbooks
Directories
Divorce Records
Naturalizations
Church Records
School Records
Coroner Records
Voter Records
Probate and Wills
Immigration
Mortuary Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
